12 string Euro style JM build

olafgarten · January 2017

customkits said:

WezV said:

Like this

like the idea of that

Weather it's worth doing or not is anyone's guess
I'd do just 12 and 6 string though

With this you can do the bottom bit as a 6 string and then make both a Bass and 12 string top, then switch them out.

WezV · January 2017

The real question is whether you would bother switching it all around once the build was finished. Unless you could quickly change between songs you probably wouldn't.

Danielsguitars · January 2017

Once you build the damn thing, not to mention the cost of getting it done, then find out I wish I hadn't bothered

Other builds to do before I worry about that anyway

On with the build wez, i'm starting to really like jazzmaster shape guitars

impmann · January 2017

olafgarten said:

customkits said:

WezV said:

Like this

like the idea of that

Weather it's worth doing or not is anyone's guess
I'd do just 12 and 6 string though

With this you can do the bottom bit as a 6 string and then make both a Bass and 12 string top, then switch them out.

Actually... (Shergold Anorak alert)...

That guitar had several 'halves'. There were two 12 string halves (one top and one bottom layout). There was a four string bass, and a six string bass. There was a regular Shergold 6 string half and a later half made by Roger Giffin with a Strat neck and three pickups.

It was also a 'modulator' which meant that the electronics control plates could be replaced by undoing the silver screw and then pulling them out. There were several different electronics modules - some were simple, some less so involving active electronics.

It was totally designed in conjunction with Mike R and was actually his idea, as playing his parts in Genesis were so complicated it was necessary - for example some songs needed 12 strings with alternative tunings ('octave' strings tuned to fifths etc). It also had a balanced output - the connector on the bottom was a four or five pin "XLR" type for many years, although I believe this was simplified in later years.

Sadly Mike hasn't played it recently - even for the recent Genesis tour despite returning to the old material. As a result, I didn't think it sounded so good... the Shergold has its own sound.

A good friend of mine built a full replica of this guitar - with all the different 'halves' and because he wanted it authentic, and most of the parts are bespoke, he had to make a lot of it from scratch. For example the pickups and pickup rings are an unusual size/shape and were only ever used on Shergolds and some Hayman guitars - he found a method of making them himself. Likewise he researched and developed the special connectors to enable the separation etc.

Aside from Scott's amazing replica guitar there was only ever *one* demountable Shergold. Apparently the costs of manufacture would have been prohibitive. Some of the 'halves' have been sold off by Mike R but the majority is still stored at "The Farm", Genesis' studio. Scott has also built a few twin necks for the Genesis tribute bands, including (IIRC) the left-handed one.

There is more info on this guitar (including some pics taken fairly recently) on the Shergold website - www.shergold.co.uk

:-)

WezV · January 2017

I knew it had a 6 string neck too, but as always you are a mine of info for all things shergold

PhilKing · January 2017

I originally had 2 songs in the set in mind for the double neck. They wouldn't have been at the same point though - you need some time to recover after using it. The mando 12 matches a John Birch style SG that Wez made for me. I have it tuned to B, for Hotel California.

Jim Rodford had a Precision/Strat double neck that used to separate in the Argent days - but I can't find any pictures of it.

WezV · January 2017

i finally found the old jap trem bridge for this, which saved me buying something at more than i would willingly pay for a full guitar. The only issue is it was missing its arm and springs, but new versions are now available on ebay so i got one of those.

The seller offered to relic it, but the original bits are still quite shiny, just a bit scratched up from spending 15 years in a drawer of random parts. Instead i have put it in a bag of screws and shook it around a bit

Image: https://i.imgur.com/LhO2aDk.jpg?1

it took some slight modding to fit the new arm, but it feels a lot more stable than the vintage examples, spring seems decent and the pivot point is so simple I am sure i could improve it if needed

Anyway, cost me very little so I am going to give it a go

redrighthand · January 2017

WezV said:

i finally found the old jap trem bridge for this, which saved me buying something at more than i would willingly pay for a full guitar. The only issue is it was missing its arm and springs, but new versions are now available on ebay so i got one of those.

The seller offered to relic it, but the original bits are still quite shiny, just a bit scratched up from spending 15 years in a drawer of random parts. Instead i have put it in a bag of screws and shook it around a bit

it took some slight modding to fit the new arm, but it feels a lot more stable than the vintage examples, spring seems decent and the pivot point is so simple I am sure i could improve it if needed

Anyway, cost me very little so I am going to give it a go

Awesome

WezV · January 2017

went single ply binding in the end but i am very happy with it. I might need to dull down the shine of the perspex a bit though, i will probably hand buff it at some point to soften it

Shark_Eyes · January 2017

Looking good Wez, I like the scratchplate design. What do the switches do, on/off?

WezV · January 2017

yeah, it will just be on/off for each with a master volume and tone

I still need to decide what i am doing with the 6 non-trem strings... probably through the body, but i am goign to test it all out as a 6 string like this first as the trem may not stay

the back has been heavily rounded over too

Shark_Eyes · January 2017

I thought the back looked rounded over. Nice attention to detail. I'm really interested to see how the half term works it's a really interesting idea.

vale · January 2017

that is lush. & a trem for the high six set will be amazing. or evil horrible. fun anyway.
where did you find the template for the body shape? it looks bang on.

WezV · January 2017

I printed one off I found online and stuck it to some MDF. That was a few years back when I made my first jazz master.

i have done similar by scaling up full frontal pictures. Either way it's very important to check a few known dimensions - scale length, pickup size etc

vale · January 2017

thanks for the tip WezV. just noticed your SG Vox Mando thing at the top (pic must have not loaded first time i checked the thread). great body shape (Hagstromy) & finish. true skills!

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12 string Euro style JM build

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